Review: When Strawberries Bloom - Linda Byler

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Ever wondered what life would be like living in an Amish Community ?
When Strawberries Bloom: A Novel Based on True Experiences from an Amish Writer (Lizzie Searches for Love)
Review: When Strawberries Bloom- Book #2 Lizzie Searches for Love Series- Linda Byler -October 2010
You always wonder when you read Christian Amish Fiction , how often than not -the author has actually lived in or spent time in a Amish community. Reading amish novels and watching Amish films like Amish Grace, Saving Sarah Cain. I've always thought that it would have been nice to grow up in an Amish Village, though of course after spending my whole life as what they call an Englischer -it would be extremely hard to give up things that we take for granted e.g books , tv etc to live their ways. One of the things I love I think most about Amish novels is that they are so peaceful , romantic and godly. They don't read as cults but rather happy religious communities.
Author Linda Byler herself grew up in the Amish community and is still an active member of the Amish church and she writes a weekly column the local Amish newspaper besides her time writing her novels. Reading, When Strawberries Bloom - you can see that the author has put in her own knowledge as throughout the novel, there were parts that felt so real and relatable to all .
In When Strawberries Bloom, we meet Lizzie Glick - all she has ever wanted was to teach school and when the opportunity arises for Lizzie to accept the job, she jumps at it and begins teaching School to Amish and Mennonite children in the Fall. However, it seems that all around Lizzie -people are falling in love , having courtships and marriage proposals. With her sister Emma being proposed to "When Strawberries Bloom" by Joshua and her younger sister Mandy being courted by John, and the one guy who Lizzie thought might have been the one -Amos is now courting somebody else from the community. Enter Stephen, he is Lizzie's best friend, she doesn't view him as anything else but Stephen loves Lizzie. Is Lizzie destined to become a school teacher and spend her life teaching the children or will the dream of one day becoming a wife and mother lead her to choose second best with Stephen ?
Are Lizzie and Stephen meant to be or does God have other plans -greater ones for Lizzie?
Find out all this and more as the author has also placed 10 of Lizzie's favourite recipes for readers to cook and eat at the back of the novel - In "When Strawberries Bloom" and keep on the lookout for Book #1 Running around (and such) and Book #3 Big Decisions.


Comments

  1. CanadaFebruary 9, 2012 at 6:20 PM

    I really felt like this book was much better written, even though the story doesn't always flow as smoothly as it could, with time lines sometimes being a bit confusing, it still was a very enjoyable read. I really felt as if Lizzie had matured quite a bit from the last book, although she still sometimes reverts back to her rebellious ways, once she realizes that her biggest problem is not listening to and submitting to God's will, she starts getting control of her temper. Without giving to much away I felt that there was one issue that was totally left hanging, when she slaps a child at school, I was sure that there would be repercussions from that, but it wasn't dealt with at all, it was like once she told her mom, it was forgotten.

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